Testimony of Abram Suzkever (concerning Einsatzgruppen atrocities in Vilna)
on February 27, 1946

Cross-Examination of Hermann Goering by Robert Jackson and David
Maxwell-Fyfe (March 18-21, 1946)
1: Testimony on March 18, 1946 (Cross-examination by Jackson)
2: Testimony on March 19, 1946 (Cross-examination by Jackson)
3: Testimony on March 20, 1946 (Cross-examination by Jackson)
4: Testimony on March 20-21, 1946 (Cross-examination by Maxwell-Fyfe)

a
series of trials held in Nürnberg, Ger., in 1945–46, in which former
Nazi leaders were indicted and
tried as war criminals by the International Military Tribunal. The indictment
lodged against them contained four counts: (1) crimes against peace—i.e.,
the planning, initiating, and waging of wars of aggression in violation of
international treaties and agreements; (2) crimes against humanity—i.e.,
exterminations, deportations, and genocide; (3)
war crimes —i.e.,
violations of the laws of war; and (4) “a common plan or conspiracy to commit”
the criminal acts listed in the first three counts.

The authority of the International Military
Tribunal to conduct these trials stemmed from the
London Agreement of Aug. 8, 1945. On
that date, representatives from the United States, Great Britain, the Soviet
Union, and the provisional government of France signed an agreement that
included a charter for an international military tribunal to conduct trials of
major Axis war criminals whose offenses had no particular geographic location.
Later, 19 other nations accepted the provisions of this agreement.

The tribunal
was given the authority to find any individual guilty of the commission of war
crimes (counts 1–3 listed above) and to declare any group or organization to be
criminal in character. If an organization was found to be criminal, the
prosecution could bring individuals to trial for having been members, and the
criminal nature of the group or organization could no longer be questioned. A
defendant was entitled to receive a copy of the indictment, to offer any
relevant explanation to the charges brought against him, and to be represented
by counsel and confront and cross-examine the witnesses.

The tribunal consisted of a member plus
an alternate selected by each of the four signatory countries. The first
session, under the presidency of General I.T. Nikitchenko, the Soviet member,
took place on Oct. 18, 1945, in Berlin. At this time, 24* former Nazi leaders
were charged with the perpetration of war crimes; and various groups (such as
the Gestapo, the Nazi secret police) were charged with being criminal in
character. Beginning on Nov. 20, 1945, all sessions of the tribunal were held in
Nürnberg under the presidency of Lord Justice Geoffrey Lawrence (later Baron
Trevethin and Oaksey), the British member.